Three Capitals of Russia: St. Petersburg, Moscow, Suzdal

Date:
September 1-10, 2016

Price:
CMC Members: $2070
Non-Members: $2300

Trip Overview

We'll start our tour in beautiful St. Petersburg, which was a capital of Russia from 1712-1918, where a tour highlight will be a visit to The Hermitage, one of the world's premier art museums. In addition to extensive walks in the downtown, we'll hike in the city suburbs as well as visit the gorgeous and opulent palaces of Russian czars such as Catherine the Great. After a night train ride, we’ll visit Moscow, the capital from 1340-1712 and 1918-present, with its legendary Red Square and Kremlin, where Russian czars were coroneted in the Assumption Cathedral. We’ll end up in the ancient town of Suzdal which was a capital of a small Russian principality in the 12th century where we’ll have an opportunity to visit some ancient churches and monasteries, and will afford some pleasant rural hiking. During this trip you can get tickets to some optional evening tours such as traditional Cossack folk performance, opera, ballet or circus. You might also decide to go to a local banya, the Russian equivalent of a sauna. And, of course, you will try famous borscht soup and Russian vodka! This will be a combination of easy hiking activities and a great cultural experience.

Accommodations

3-4 star hotels

Activities / Difficulty

We'll walk about 3-7 miles every day with no elevation gain. A and B hikers are welcome.